Vuestar Technologies

Vuestar Technologies

Vuestar Technologies Pte Ltd is a Singapore-incorporated subsidiary owned by Australian parent Goldspirit Investments Pty Ltd. The owner of both companies, Ronald Neville Langford, [ [http://web20.telecomtv.com/pages/?newsid=43241&id=e9381817-0593-417a-8639-c4c53e2a2a10&view=news TelecomTV - TelecomTV One - News ] ] applied for a number of patents around the world relating to search techniques using hyperlinked images to other websites or web pages. [http://www.theinquirer.net/gb/inquirer/news/2008/05/28/singapore-firm-owns-pictures All your Interwibble is belong to us] , Silvie Barak, The Inquirer, 28 May 2008]

In May 2008, Vuestar sent invoices to owners of several Singaporean websites demanding licensing fees if the websites wished to continue using visual images to link to other web pages. [http://tech.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=08/05/27/1643258 Singapore Firm Claims Patent Breach By Virtually All Websites] , Slashdot, 27 May 2008] [http://www.zdnetasia.com/news/internet/0,39044908,62041802,00.htm S'pore firm claims patent to image search] , Eileen Yu, ZDNet Asia, 27 May 2008]

Company claims

Vuestar's website states that it has obtained granted patents for "a method of locating web-sites using visual images" in Singapore, Australia, New Zealand and the United States.Citation
last = Vuestar Technologies
title = Legal heritage
year = 2008
url = http://vuestar.biz/legal.php
accessdate = 2008-05-28
] It says that website owners who "use visual images which hyperlink to other web-pages or web-sites in accordance with the patent ... whether on the first page or subsequent pages of a web-site" require a license from them to continue doing so legally.Citation
last = Vuestar Technologies
title = Services
year = 2008
url = http://www.vuestar.biz/services.php
accessdate = 2008-05-28
] User licenses are issued for one year and restricted to Singapore.Citation
last = Vuestar Technologies
title = Frequently asked questions
year = 2008
url = http://vuestar.biz/faq.php
accessdate = 2008-05-28
] Annual licensing fees depend on web traffic as well as the extent of image hyperlinking and range from nothing for governments, charities and non commercial enterprises to "millions".Citation
last = Chua
first = Hian Hou
title = Patent breach by 'virtually all websites'? Pay up, firm demands
newspaper = The Straits Times
pages = H5
year = 2008
date = 2008-05-27
]

In May 2008, in a move which has sparked criticism among online communities, Vuestar sent invoices to owners of several Singaporean websites demanding licensing fees if the websites wished to continue using visual images to link to other web pages.

Vuestar has stated that it also intends to enforce its rights in Australia and the United States.

Response

Owners of Arowana community site Arofanatics.com were sent an invoice for S$5,350, but they have said that they do not intend to pay.

The actions of Vuestar have been called patent trolling by some. [http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20080528-patent-troll-sending-out-invoices-for-image-hyperlinks.html Patent troll sending out invoices for image hyperlinks] , Jacqui Cheng, Ars Technica, 28 May 2008] [http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/05/29/AR2008052901211.html Today in Patent Trolling: VueStar] , John Biggs, "The Washington Post" (TechCrunch), 29 May 2008] Ron Langford, the inventor and a major shareholder of Vuestar Technologies, has stated that "there has been no law broken" and that his company is seeking payment for the use of its technology "because the company has been 'damaged financially to the tune of millions of dollars'" ["Man who sparked patent uproar says...", Liew Hanqing, The New Paper, 29 May 2008, quoted by [http://refutevuestarpatent.biz/?p=97 refutevuestarpatent.biz] ]

Patents

The patents owned by the parent company GoldSpirit Investment Pty Ltd and Vuestar Technology Pte Ltd were all registered under the name of inventor Ronald Langford, including Cite patent|US|7065520, Cite patent|AU|755035 and [http://www.epatents.gov.sg/pe/PRegister.asp?AppNo=2003018207&ImgID=I0000082679&SMode=Simple&SearchName=&SearchNumber=95940&CheckDigit=&SearchSubject=&SubM=Title&NumType=PNo&WhichQuery=1&RecordPerPage=5&DisplayOrder=DESC&NextPage=&Display=Format02&FD2=&AN2=&IPC2=&Inv2=&App2=&FAbs2=&Drw2= Singaporean patent 95940] .The Australian patent has ceased through failure to pay a renewal fee due in October 2007, according to [http://pericles.ipaustralia.gov.au/ols/searching/content/olsPatents.jsp the IPAustralian patent database] . Cite patent|EP|1327207|application was also filed but lapsed through failure to pay a renewal fee before the European Patent Office had conducted their own prior art search.

All of these patents originated from Cite patent|WO|0229623|application which was searched and examined by IP Australia who were unable to identify any particularly relevant prior art. The patents in Australia and Signapore were therefore granted without significant limitations to the claims. The US patent was granted only after further examination by the US Patent and Trademark Office resulting in additional limitations being added to all of the independent claims as granted including that: "the visual content comprises a plurality of mini-images in the form of a conveyor belt slide show". Further US prosecution details are available via the [http://portal.uspto.gov/external/portal/pair USPTO Public PAIR system] .

ee also

*Odex's actions against file-sharing

References

External links

* [http://vuestar.biz/ Vuestar Technologies]
* [http://www.richardpalace.com/2008/05/28/vuestar/ Richard Palace]
* [http://refutevuestarpatent.biz/ RefuteVueStarPatent.biz]


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